Slender in Ikebukuro
by DRRRLover1224
Summary: It wasn't supposed to be this way. It was only a stupid game. I don't know how we ended up here, but we have only one choice. We have eight pages to find, yet not enough time. He's going to arrive soon. The Slenderman. Rated M for language and suggestive themes.
1. It Begins

**A/N:** **'Kay, this is a kind of collab b/w me and my best friend (who also has a fanfic page - MiharuStarBlaster), and we came up with this idea because I download Slender on my laptop and we all played it at her birthday party in March. The day after, the thought of our favorite DRRR! characters playing this game would be awesome, so we been kinda working on it back and forth. This is only the first part, and uh, by the way: ****_HE'S HERE_****. *evil giggle***

* * *

_9:42 PM - Ikebukuro - Shinra's apartment_

"A-aah…I miss my wittle lovey-dove…" I moaned miserably, kicking my feet on the couch in agitation, "It's been a full ten minutes and twenty-eight and a half seconds since she left for her job!"

Dinner was _sooooooo_ lonely, well….she can't eat, but whatever. Just spending time with Celty makes my heart soar, and I'd do anything for her – BUT WHY DOES SHE HAVE TO WORK ALL THE TIME?!

"Oh, God…!" I wailed, but I suddenly sucked my tears up when my cell phone started to ring. Overjoyed, I squealed, fishing it from my lab coat pocket, and answered it.

"Oh, Celty!" I said with glee, "I was just about to call you~! I miss you already!"

"_…Shinra, it's Kadota._"

My heart fell three stories following three more, "Oh…hello, Kyohei…"

"_Uh, hi. Listen – Erika and Walker wanna talk to you._"

I raised an eyebrow, "Huh? You mean those two little weirdos that follow you everywhere?"

"_Y-yeah…_" I could hear the strain in Kyohei's voice, "_They said something about wanting you to try something on the Internet. I told them to just use their cell phones, but-_"

"_I TOLD YOU WE'RE OUTTA MINUTES!_" I heard Walker say.

"_Yeah, people have been calling us and we've been calling them about the new SSBB game - Super Smash Brothers Brawl: The Universe! Not to mention League has been getting pretty good, too!_" Erika squealed while Kyohei sighed and shut them up.

"_Anyway, here's the phone…_"

I paused, finding nothing else to do but look around the apartment in confusion. _Now what would those two want with me? I'm kinda scared…_

"_Shin-Shin!_" Erika yelled in the receiver, "_Hiya~!_"

"…What did you just call me?!"

"_I said 'Shin-Shin'!_"

"Oh…sounds very close to 'chin-chin'*…"

"_No, silly!_" she giggled, "_But you know…_"

"_Save it, save it, Erika!_" Walker said, "_Tell him about Slenderman!_"

"Uh…" I scratched my head, "Slender…who now?"

"_Slenderman!_" Erika explained, "_It's really called 'Slender: The Eight Pages'. All it is is this…really cool game on the Net – something that you'd like._"

"…Something that I'd like? How would you know?"

Walker snickered, "_It's, uh…really, really fun! It deals with the unnatural. Ask Saburo – he's playing it now._"

"_Dude, it's seems pretty easy to me…_" Saburo said, "_You're just walking through some type of forest at night looking for eight pages in random places. Ooh, speaking of which, I just found one on a tree._"

I heard Erika and Walker give some type of stifled giggle.

"_Wait…what's with the sudden music…? That's weird…_"

Walker whispered, "_It begins…Erika, get the camera~_"

Kyohei must've sighed, "_Oh, God…_"

"Um…" I toyed with my tie, "Guys, what's going on? What's happening?"

"_Oh, nuttin'…_" Erika laughed again, "_Saburo just found another page~_"

"_Yeah, and I'm kinda getting freaked out so I'm standing still for a bit, looking around_," I heard him say, but the two otaku snickered louder, "_It was on a giant rock, but this music…I don't – WAAAAAAAAH!"_

I jumped, "Wha?! What's wrong?!"

Walker sputtered out, "_Nothing, gotta go! Play the game, okay?!_"

Erika joined in, "_See ya, Shin-Shin!_"

"_WHAT THE HELL WAS-?!_"

**Click!**

I heard the dial tone. I put the phone down slowly.

"So…might as well check this out later on tonight…"

_9:59 PM_

"How did I end up here?" I said with my chin in my palm, watching the little download bar fill across with green, the same as it's been doing for the past three minutes. It was getting dark, almost ten now, and I rocked in my little office chair as I watched the monitor do its business. I did a quick research scan on this, "Slender", and it is indeed a very popular computer game. The reviews and critics say it's beyond okay, so I think _I'll_ be okay.

The download finished and sent the game to my computer. I searched and found the black icon in one of my file folders, clicking on it twice.

"Alright, let's try this thing…" I cracked my knuckles and leaned back in the office seat, pressing the start button. What Saburo said made sense – I'm basically placed in the middle of the woods at night, only a flashlight in hand.

"Huh…" I pondered, pressing the w key to walk, "So all I have to do is find all eight pages and be done? It _does_ seem easy."

But still, _what was that scream I heard over the phone?_

I kept walking, turning sides every so often to look where I was, until after a few minutes, I found a yellowish piece of paper attached to a tree.

"'Leave me alone'…" I read slowly after leaning my face closer to the screen, "Wonder what that's all about…"

I picked up the note, the game confirming I was one-eighths done, but then, I suddenly heard music.

_Eerie music._

I tensed, "Is this what Saburo-san was talking about? It _is_ kinda freaky…"

Again, I pressed the w key, watching my steps a bit more carefully now, and progressed through the woody area. Time passed, and ultimately, I reached the giant rock that Saburo-san was talking about, taking up another page.

"Okay," I said with a small smile, "That's a quarter done right there. This isn't so bad."

I spoke too soon, because the music was intensifying once again.

"Oh, boy…" I groaned biting my lip, and something weird happened again.

There was static.

"Huh?" I looked around my apartment, wondering if something was wrong with the electricity, but apparently it was part of the game.

Now trembling, I started walking again, picking up a little bit of static here and there. And it's not like the music was making it any better.

"What the hell is going on here…?" I whimpered, pressing the r key and starting to run, "This is crazy…this is crazy…this is crazy…"

I ran and ran until the man in the game started huffing. The static went away, but I ended up in to some type of area with what looked like gas tanks lined up in rows.

"Oh, crap…" I shook my head, walking in between the huge tanks. Eventually I found another page that said, "Always watches – no eyes."

"…What's that mean?" I asked myself, and I turned to leave, but then, _I saw him._

Tall.

_Slender_.

**No face****.**

"EEEEEEK!' I squealed and slammed my finger on the r key, dashing in a straight direction into the woods.

"Omigod, omigod, omigod – **who the hell was that**?!" I yelled, still running yet clutching my chest with my free hand, "He had no friggin' face!"

Still breathing heavily, I stopped once I found another note. It was on another tree. Checking my surroundings first, I walked up to the trunk, reading the page aloud before clicking it.

"'Help…me…'" I gulped, "…Oh, sweet Jesus and Mary Mother of God…"

I turned around. **He was dead in my face.**

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! MOTHER OF MERCY!"

I thrashed and fell back in the chair, hitting the floor with a hard thud as the static was even louder now with the Slenderman's mug zoomed in on the screen. I rolled over in complete shock on the floor as the game automatically went back to home. Tears were coming in my eyes as I went over what just happened.

"Oh, God…what the hell, man?!" I whined, "Why would anyone waste money making that sort of thing - WHY?!"

I stopped ranting when I heard a loud knock at the door. It sounded very persistent, as if someone really wanted in.

I froze, "_Holy shit…_" Any other day, I would've covered my mouth for cursing, but this…**this is just fucking nuts**!

_"Is that…IS THAT…?_" I whispered frantically, biting my lip when the doorknob rattled. Clenching my fists, I ran to the kitchen, grabbing a broom and crouching behind the wall next to the hallway. I wiped some sweat off my forehead, pushing my glasses up with a growl.

"_Alright, you little son of a bitch…_" I gripped the stick so hard that I felt my veins tighten immensely, "_Come and get it._"

I heard the door finally swing open, and that was my cue.

"YAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

I swung the broomstick as hard as I could, hitting _something_.

But that something wasn't Slenderman.

I turned on a nearby light, looking down in horror to realize that I hit my beloved wife across her shoulder. She was on the floor, holding it with her free hand, obviously in some type of pain. I must've hit her really hard because her helmet was flung across the room.

"OH! Oh my goodness – CELTY!" I cried, dropping to my knees and bringing her close to me in a tight hug, kissing her and throwing the broomstick aside to join her strewn helmet, "Lovey-Dove, I am SO sorry! My delicate little flower, are you – OOOF!"

She jabbed me in my stomach with her right arm and elbowed me in my ribs with her left arm.

"Owie, ow, ow, ow, ow – okay, okay! Celty, that hurts!"

She typed out a message, and she must've been really angry because her fingers went so fast that she misspelled some words.

["Yhat hurts?!" Qhat the jell do yo mean?! Tgat's my line!]

"Now, love, calm down…" I started trembling again as her smoke billowed in enormous puffs.

[VALM DOWN?! YOU JIT ME!]

"Honey, please let me explain! See, Kyohei called, then he switched over the phone to Walker and Erika, then they told me about this game, and I downloaded it, and then I played it, and then I got scared, so I thought that the knock on the door was the scary Slender guy, and that's why I hit you!"

I sucked in a huge breath, giving her that puppy dog looked that always won her forgiveness. She gradually relaxed her tensed shoulders, seeming to sigh deeply.

[…Scary…slender guy…?]

"Mh-hmm."

[…Are you insane?]

"Huh?!"

[Don't answer that – I already know you are…] she typed while she was getting up, giving the vibe of being irritable, [So you thought I was someone scary and you hit me in self-defense?]

"Yes!" I pulled myself up off the floor, "They call him Slenderman. The objective of the game is to collect eight different pages in some wooded area. The more you find, the more the background music intensifies, and the more this faceless man stalks you!"

[Faceless man…?] she questioned, moving to the couch, but then, she suddenly started shaking.

[Wait…This guy…HE'S NOT AN ALIEN, IS HE?!]

I raised an eyebrow, "Uh…"

[IS HE?!]

"Um, I don't…no, I don't think so…"

She sighed, holding a hand to her chest for a minute, then she shoved a message in my face.

[Shinra, I really don't see why you got so scared. Look at me – I have no head, and yet, you love me. Why is this Slenderman any different and how?]

She had a point. This was just some indie game. Slenderman is a tall made-up being with no face and dressed in a suit. Celty is a true, before-your-eyes dullahan, no head, but she's as sweet and cute as can be. What _is_ so scary about Slenderman?

"Um…well…" I stammered, sitting next to her, "Now if you sit down and think about it, I guess I…overreacted?"

[That's quite an understatement. My shoulder still stings a bit.]

I stuck out my lip.

"Celty, again, I'm so sorry…" I whimpered, "I'm really, truly, sincerely, honestly, seriously, from the bottom of my heart-"

[Okay, okay! I forgive you!] I heard her giggle when I wrapped my arms around her and snuggled in her embrace, whimpering playfully like a lost puppy. I stole a kiss on her neck, making her smoke form a heart. After that, she got out her PDA again.

[So, uh…how exactly does this Slenderman game go again…?]

I gulped.

I love my wife with all my heart and I'd do anything for her, but…

**Do I really have to play that God forsaken abomination they call a game again?!**

"Erm…maybe later…"

_10:38 PM_

[Is this _really_ what you were afraid of, Shinra?]

My wife just held the w key and stared at me, only pausing when she typed something in the Notepad document she opened to speak.

I crossed my arms and pouted, "It's more than that! What I saw was not human!"

[…Need I remind you once that again, **I'm** not human?]

"Sometimes I forget~ "

[Oh, brother…]

Celty continued to play the horror game with me crouched behind the chair in fear, and since Celty forbade me from touching the broom, all I had in my hand was a fork.

Celty collected her 1st note, then her 2nd, then her 3rd, not once running into Slenderman.

Not even a glimpse of him.

[Yeah, this is REALLY scary…]

"Don't tease me, Celty!" I ducked behind the chair again, "All this is just pure luck! Now that you've come this far, he could pop up just about anywhere…!"

[Well, apparently, he's too scared to come out in front of me. You told me to just walk straight, don't look around me or behind me, and don't turn off the flashlight. Plus, if I hear static, press the r key to run as fast as I can until it stops.]

"T-that's right…God knows I broke some of those rules…" I whimpered, shuddering with the fork in my hand held up, ready for battle.

If Celty had eyes, she was probably rolling them.

[Why do we have to turn off all the lights…?]

"It will help me prove to you how scary this game is."

[Honestly, you're the only one that's scared here.]

"Nnnngh!" I whined, "Look, there's another page…_oh, man_…"

[Calm down, Shinra.] She gave me a loving tickle on the back of my neck.

She found the note attached to a tree, but when she was walking to get it, the screen picked up some static.

"Oh, God…!" I squealed, "He's coming….! R, r, r! Press the r key!"

[Calm down.] She repeated, turning the seat around to look at me, [You are FINE. This is just a game, meaning it is NOT REAL. Do you understand?]

I gulped, gripping the fork with both hands now, but nodded just the same. Celty gave a tilt of her neck in affirmation, and she turned back around. Then, she moved the mouse to the right.

We saw him.

A great, clear view of Slenderman's image.

"UWAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" I screamed, "GOD, NOOOOOOOOOOO!"

I fell back again, thrashing my legs as I yelped.

_And I don't know where the fork went._

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no…!" I whined, barely feeling Celty's shadows creep up on me, "Don't let him get me, don't let him get me, don't let him get me! Please, somebo-UUMPH! MMM!"

My wife's shadows covered my mouth and held my limbs in place, muffling my noise. Celty, who didn't even look the least bit shaken up, typed out calmly on her PDA.

[Shinra…will you calm down for me, please?]

I didn't even realize a few tears came to my eyes. Trying to wipe one away on the floor and breathing slowly, I nodded.

Celty patted my head and relieved me of the restrictions. I swallowed to get rid of the dryness of my throat and shamelessly wiped some of my tears off on my sleeve. Celty sighed, using one of her fingers to clear my eyes of the salty drops of water.

[You know…if I could kiss them away, I would. :)]

I smiled, hugging her tightly.

"So you weren't scared…not even a little bit?" I asked, almost a little hopeful.

She let go and typed me a message.

[Not really. It's not the scariest thing I've ever experienced.]

"Whoa…that's brave…" I pondered, "…Brave…hey, Celty."

[Hmm?]

"…Should we call Shizuo and tell him to play?"

[What?] she asked, [Why would you want to do that?]

"Well, I'm just a little curious as to what would be his reaction when he meets The Slender Man. Aren't you?"

The dullahan hesitated before giving her response.

[I didn't before, but now that you mention the idea…I guess I would be kind of interested in finding out…]

"I know, right?" I replied excitedly, getting up and pulling out my cell phone. A found a certain contact number and called it. Celty still remained in her sitting position, looking on, until, a thought came to her mind.

[Are you sure that just the _game_ will scare Shizuo?]

As the phone rang, I pressed a finger to my chin.

"…You're right… Love."

She titled her neck a little.

"…You think you could do me a favor?"

_10:51 PM – Ikebukuro's streets_

Another day gone, another day spent beating up debtors, another day filled with aggravation.

I took a long drag of my cigarette, trudging my way home. It was kind of a late night, a bit peaceful now that I'm off work, so I was in no rush to go home. After a few glimpses of the bright stars above, my phone suddenly started going off.

I huffed, taking it out of my vest pocket, wondering who the hell could be calling me.

"Yeah?"

"_Shizuo, hiiiiiii~!_" I heard the annoying voice of a certain underground doctor, "_How are you doing on this fine evening?_"

I ruffled my hair and inhaled more of the nicotine in my cigarette, "Shinra, look, I'm tired, had a rough day, I just got through with beating the ever-living shit of some-"

"_Alright, I'll make this quick!_" he said.

I continued walking, "What do you need?"

"_…Nothing!_" he piped, "_Serious, at least, but…you have a computer, right?_"

"Mm-hmm, and?"

"_There's something I want you to download,_" he explained, "_It's called Slender: The Eight Pages. Have you heard of it?_"

"It's doesn't ring any sort of bell, but just what is it?"

I felt him grinning, "_A computer game~_"

I tried suppressing a growl, but it just didn't work, "You called me just to tell me about some PC game?!"

"_Now, wait a minute, Shizuo!_" he said, "_I've played it, Celty's played it, and other critics say it's really good. Won't you try it just once?_"

I threw my cigarette to the ground and stomped on it, but nonetheless, I only huffed again.

"Fine…dammit…so, what do you have to do?"

"_Oh, nothing much,_" Shinra replied, "_All you have to do is collect eight random pages in the woods at night. All you have is a flashlight and your body._"

"…Sounds lame…"

"_Trust me, you'll have a few goose bumps when you're done…So it's better to play it with all the lights off._"

"…And all I have to do is find eight? That's it?"

"_Right!_"

"…Fine…"

"_That's great! Ooh, and, uh, by the way…_"

"Yes?"

"**_Watch out for Slenderman._**"

"Wha-"

**Click!**

I held my cell in my hand, turning it around and looking at it every which way.

"Did he…**did he just fucking hang up on me?!**"

He had some nerve, but…who the hell is Slenderman…?

* * *

**If you're scared, don't worry - I can't play Slender by myself. Hell, I get scared just by watching PewDiePie play it!**

***"Chin-Chin" basically means...ahem - "a certain male body part" in Japanese. Get it? If not, TIME FOR GOOGLE TRANSLATE! XD**


	2. You Can't Run

_11:17 PM – Shizuo's apartment_

I got home later than usual, seeing as though I got distracted by Shinra's phone call as well as the candy displayed at the mini mart. Chewing a gummy bear as I unlocked my apartment door, I went inside and put my keys and candy bag on the kitchen table. I sat down after grabbing a bottle of milk, gulping it down with ease, but one of my mocha eyes kept looping towards my laptop on the table in my living room.

I wiped leftover milk off the corner of my lips with my sleeve, dropping my shoulders in disbelief.

_Am I seriously thinking about that stupid game…? I'm such a dumbass…_

However, the dumbasses of this world have the powerful skill of curiosity, leading us to do incredible things.

Sometimes incredibly _stupid_ things, but incredible just the same.

Either way, I shook my head, getting up to take a shower instead, hoping to put the idea off my mind.

_11:38 PM_

"C'mon, c'mon…!" I sat crisscross in the almost dark, one of my bent legs bouncing with impatience. The download was taking a while, and I've drunk at least three more bottles of milk to pass the time and to release my frustration.

When the green bar finally reached its destination, I immediately searched through my documents to find the folder.

_Old essay…résumé…ooh, naked picture of Iza-…never mind…_

Trying to erase the blush from my face, I scrolled down some more, happy to find the right file.

"Okay, let's just get this over with…" I clicked on the icon, ready for whatever after I pressed Start.

"…The hell is this…?" I pressed w, walking aimlessly through the woods and pointing my flashlight in every direction, "Is this it?"

At first, it seemed really boring, and nothing much was happening. Then, I stumbled across a piece of notebook paper stuck to a tree.

I raised an eyebrow, "O-kay…just left-click…"

I picked up the note, with the game telling me I was progressing, but all of a sudden, I heard music.

"Wha…what the hell…?" I said aloud, "Where'd that come from?"

I start walking, a little more cautious now, and maneuver my way through the trees to find another page. I collected it, hearing the music change up.

Then, I heard some static.

"Duuuude…" I press on, turning around to go back "What is the point of – WHOA! What the fuck!"

I swear to God…_I saw somebody_, but it was more like **something**.

I press r now, not wanting to hang around that spot, and ran until I saw a house with a wide opening.

"Huh? A house all the way out here?" I slowed down, doing a quick check around me, and ran straight in. The house was like a maze, seeing as though the second I went in, I saw all the different paths I could take.

"Confusing as this place is, it'd be stupid _not_ to put a page in here," I said to myself, choosing to go right, but after I went down there, I was greeting by more turns and twists in the house.

"Stupid…shit…!" I growled, "How the hell do you get out of this?! I can't find the freakin' page!"

I turned left for the umpteenth time, still finding nothing, but eventually, I ran into a chair. I sighed, raising another milk bottle to my lips for another comfort drink.

"…Okay, that's just weird…" I commented after pausing and staring at it, but I realized that making another left was a HUGE mistake.

To this day, I don't even want to describe what I saw.

It was a faceless man – my stalker.

"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" I flipped out, nearly smashing my r key in and turning the other way, running into walls and bumping into corners as I sprinted, "WHAT THE FUCK, WHAT THE FUCK, WHAT THE FUCK, WHAT THE FUCK…!"

If there was a page in there, then it was going to _stay_ in there.

After what seemed like a lifetime of useless running, I finally hit the outside again, the avatar huffing and puffing along with me. I suddenly felt glass get into my hand, and I looked down to see a crushed milk bottle in my palm to smithereens. I growled, shaking my hand in fury.

"Shit…!" I cursed, "What kind of game is this?!"

Trying very hard to keep my composure, I press r, not even bothering to walk. Eventually, I stupidly tired the avatar out, making it stop at a seemingly abandoned car.

"Oh, great…" I slapped my forehead, "First a house, now a goddamn car…"

I let the person breath for a minute before slowly walking towards the vehicle. I approached the hood, gradually circling to the side door, and found another page.

"Thank you!" I yell, throwing my arm up in anxiety, "Why isn't Slenderman coming now?!"

Instantly shutting my mouth to keep any more empty threats from spilling out of it, I moved to collect the page, but due to another dumb mistake, I accidentally put the new page into my hold _and_ clicked off the flashlight.

"GAAH!" I yelped, trying to locate the right key with the only light in the room that came from my laptop, "Dammit, dammit, dammit…! How do I turn back on the freakin' flashlight?!"

After what seemed like years of constant trial-and-error, I turned around in circles a couple of times, running aimlessly until I ran into a tree. Doing a quick scan of my surroundings first, I hopped around from key to key, finally finding the right one.

"Ah, that's better," I commented on the mini success, whirling around to press on.

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUH!" I screamed, my fingers curling tightly into a ball as I stare into the non-existent face of the Slenderman. There wasn't supposed to be anything scary about this game, but for some reason…that **thing** etched its way into my mind and into my memory.

I will never forget it.

"SON OF A FUCK!" I yelled, overreacting, and punched a hole right through my computer, erasing the monster and the rest of my computer screen to a black. I got myself up, standing tall and huffing, taking a quick look at the shards of glass added to some of the ones before in my fist.

Then, I stopped, exhaling sharply to realize my apartment was in complete darkness now. I looked down at my busted laptop, seeing a few sparks shoot out of the shattered screen, but after the noise ceased, _I felt someone's presence_.

"Who's there?!" I spun around on my heels, peering into the shadowy, empty space of the dark room.

Nothing.

After letting my eyelids fall into their places, I let out a loud laugh.

"What the hell is with me?!" I laughed again, walking to my bedroom and stripping my white T-shirt off, not even realizing that my hands were trembling, "It's…it's just a...s-stupid…game…"

I trailed off, climbing into bed, an unsure look painting my face.

"Just…just a game…"

_1:57 AM_

My eyes shot up, feeling the same dark presence in my house. I quickly raise up out of bed, looking around the room. For a split second, I wanted to bash myself in the head for being so paranoid, but, as much as I'd hate to agree to something that annoying louse once said, I have animalistic instincts.

I **know** when something's there.

I kept still, creeping my hand over to my nightstand to get my lighter. I flicked it on, letting the flame light a part of my bedroom, and get out from under my sheets, treading ever-so-softly barefoot around the room. Checking the bathroom and my closet, I walked into the living room, seeing once again pieces of my broken computer strewn across the floor. I pointed the lighter near each corner and made my way into the kitchen, doing the same thing.

"_Come on, you cheeky bastard…_" I whispered behind clenched teeth, "_I'll kill ya right here and now…!_"

I searched the kitchen again, feeling the sense of something evil even stronger now, but the only thing I found was the bag full of the stuff I bought from the convenient store.

I sighed, taking a gummy bear out of the candy pack in the bag and chewing it, "Damn game getting on my nerves…"

I reached in the bag again, taking out the new pack of cigarettes I bought. I ripped the plastic off, throwing it to the side and taking out a cig. I stuck it in my mouth and lit it with the open flame, taking a long and well-needed drag of the nicotine.

"_Haah…shit…_" I sighed again, wanting nothing more than to forget all of this and go back to bed. I dropped some ashes on the tray on the kitchen table, putting the lighter back in my hand. I turned to go back to my room, immediately dropping the stick to the floor and taking in the sight.

**A dark, tall, faceless figure was standing right in front of me. **

Its arms touched the kitchen floor, its legs stood apart. I shook, my eyes bloodshot and wide, watching its motionless states closely, until one of its large feet lifted up and stomped on the burning cigarette.

I snapped.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" I screamed, not even hesitating to pick up my kitchen table and hold it over my head, "GET THE HELL OUT OF MY HOOOOOUUUUUUSSSEEE!"

I hurled the table toward the figure, who immediately fizzled out of sight, and it went all the way into the living room, smashing its way through and getting wedged in the wall. I panted, no, more like hyperventilated, and the image of that thing I saw ran like film through my mind.

"…I gotta get the hell out of here."

_2:19 AM – Shinjuku – Izaya's apartment_

**Riiiiing….riiiiing…riiiiing…!**

"Nngh…" I groaned, my limp hand bumping into everything that wasn't my cell phone on my nightstand. I rise up, wiping my tired eyes and turned on my lamp. I stole a glance at the clock while the noise of my ringtone ceased.

"_Are_?" I yawned, a little irritated as my phone started ringing again, "Who could be calling me this late…? Ugh…dammit…"

I find my phone behind the clock and look down at the caller I.D. I gave a shocked expression, finally deciding to answer it.

"Shizu-chan?"

"_Hey, flea!_" He sounded rushed and out of breath.

I groaned, "Shizu-chan, it's two in the morning! What is it, and what're you doing?"

"_Listen, louse, I don't need any crap right now!_" he snapped, "_I'm heading over to your place right quick!_"

I sat up, "W-what?! Why the hell are you-"

"_It's a very long story, Izaya-kun, but I will tell you everything once I get there! Got it?_"

"…I don't understand why you have to come-"

"_IZAYA!_"

"Ack!" I held the phone away from my ear for a second to prevent any damage, "Okay, okay! Don't fucking yell at me, Shizu-chan…"

"_Yeah, yeah, I'll be there in, like, ten or fifteen minutes, and before I get there, turn your computer or whatever you got on! As long as it has Internet!_"

"Wait a minute – what?!" I groaned again, "Just what the hell is going on, Shizu-chan?!"

"_JUST DO IT!_"

I threw my hand up, "Shit! Fine, fine, Shizu-chan, FINE!"

I heard the phone click off, and I huffed.

"_…Goddamn that Shizu-chan…_"

_2:24 AM – Ikebukuro's streets_

I held the phone in my palm, which seemed so small now, and I kept running, not daring to look back. The second after I saw that…that **thing**, I knew I had to leave. Right after it disappeared, I ended up waking the neighbors with the crash of the table. They were already awake at the sound of my screaming before I actually threw it, but that's not the issue – I didn't even bother getting out of my night clothes, instead immediately dashing to my room, stuffed as much as I could into a duffle bag, and got the hell outta dodge. My goal was to reach Shinjuku, or more specifically, Izaya's apartment.

_If I could make it, that is._

I was huffing because I was running so much, my lungs starting to ache, but I was determined to reach my lover's place, to escape Slenderman's clutches. I also made a mental note to murder that fucking underground doctor the next time I saw him for putting me through this.

Suddenly, I felt my blood temperature drop and my heartbeat quickened. I felt that same presence that I felt in my house, except…no…

"_No, no, no…_" I gripped my phone as hard as I could along with the clenching of my teeth, "_This…this isn't happening…it __**left**__…DIDN'T IT?_"

The streets were empty so I couldn't yell for help if I wanted to, so I stared into the empty space until a dark haze filled my view. I felt dizzy and sick, following the rules of the game and not looking behind me or beside me, and I felt his tentacles slink around my legs.

His fucking **tentacles**…were _around my legs_…and they moved silently, yet so death-like, wrapping around my ankles and everywhere else in between.

I wanted to move, to so desperately punch this guy until he was a bloody, shadowy pulp, but I remained still. I'd always wanted to have control of my body to stop my rampages, but I just wanted to _mov_e. If I had to tear up something, so be it. I shuddered, feeling his creeping appendages roll themselves over my back, slowly reaching for my neck.

_Is he going to choke me…?_ I thought silently, _Or does he want to snap my neck? Either way, I need to do something – __**QUICK**__._

I finally found some strength to dart my eyes around, and I realized that there was a lamp post, not even six feet away from me. My legs screamed at my brain to make them move. If I could just distract him for an instant and get even _one_ hand on that pole, I could swing, hit him, and hopefully, **kill him**.

I exhaled deeply, shaking at the tip of one of the tentacles tickling the nape of my blonde hair. Clenching a fist in my pocket, I darted around, letting out a yell of confidence, and swung to hit the Slenderman. I nearly stumbled at the sudden motion from my previous stillness, but I barely missed him by an inch. Whether I actually struck him or not didn't matter – I _needed_ to get that pole.

Looking both ways, I sprinted to the lamp post, quickening my steps when I felt him coming back, and in 2.3 seconds, my fingers turning into tight hands grabbed the post, making a deep dent. Ripping it up with ease, the dirt and concrete seemed to rain from the heavens as I held the post high above my head, the only though racing through my mind to send that demonic stalker back into the woods.

"TAKE THIS!" I roared, the lamp post almost flinging out of my hands as I aimed for the monster. I was in a blind fury, squeezing my eyes shut, probably in prayer that it worked. The pole crashed with a booming thud, clanking as it slid down the street. I breathed heavily, sweat already gathering on my face. My arm felt numb and limp, so I held it tightly with my other arm, standing by patiently for the dust to clear.

I shifted my hazed caramel eyes menacingly, because if the bastard managed to make it, I'd resort to brute strength if I had to.

I waited, making damn sure that I was ready and in position if this fight was indeed not over yet. The debris and clatter finally settled, and I saw nothing.

Not of trace of him.

I wanted to feel satisfied with the result, but something just didn't feel right.

There wasn't a _physical_ trace of him.

I still felt his presence.

I sucked in a breath, taking a few steps backward and staring into the empty space that Slenderman once stood.

"No…this…this can't be happening…" I clutched the duffle bag, nearly ripping the strap off, and started to tremble. Nothing in my life had ever scared me like this before.

I wasn't scared when I broke almost all my bones as a kid.

I wasn't scared of Celty when she first showed me her true form.

I wasn't scared of that demon blade, Saika, came into town.

_I was scared as hell of Slenderman._

_2:56 AM – Shinjuku - Izaya's apartment_

"How are you going to tell me one thing, but mean another?" I huffed, "Honestly!"

That brute said he'd be here in ten to fifteen minutes, and that was over half an hour ago. That could've been another good thirty minutes for sleep, and that was also the main reason why I was kinda pissed. He sounded like he was in such a hurry to get over here, so there should be no excuse why he hadn't arrived.

"Still…" I paused, wrapping myself in my robe and plopping on the plushy couch, "He also sounded worried…_frightened_, almost…I wonder what could've been happening…"

Shizu-chan's not the type to be fazed easily, whether it's a group of thugs or kids just wanting to stir trouble, so what could it be then?

I suddenly heard loud banging at my door. The knocks were frantic and desperate. Taking extra precautions, I reached for my extra flick blade under my couch and stood up to creep to the door. The knocking persisted getting louder each second, and I then I rolled my eyes when I heard the brute's familiar voice.

"IZAYAAAAAA! IZAYA!" he yelled, "GODDAMMIT, OPEN THE DOOR!"

I scoffed, giving the doorknob a slight twist, and Shizu-chan, unaware that the door came loose, practically fell inside my apartment. He was panting, and his skin was flushed. I grinned.

"Oh, Shizu-chan~" I purred, shifting a bit in my robe to expose of my pink nipples to the cool air, "You could've just told me you wanted a little quickie before I got into work…"

He pulls himself off the floor, his face giving the vibe of anger and fear.

"Shut up, flea! I didn't come all the way here for that!"

…He didn't…?

Now it was my turn to get angry. The only good reasons for waking up in the middle of the night is to either get a good fuck or get a very early breakfast (or both…) **That's it** – other than that, my sleep should **never** be interrupted.

"Then what did you come here for?!" I scowled, pulling my robe together tightly to hide my chest again, "And why do you look so panicked?"

He didn't even answer me, only rushing to the door again to check the halls. I tried catching up with him as he dashed corner to corner in the place.

"Hey!" I shouted. The neighbors would probably be awake by now anyway, "I'm talking to you, Shizu-chan! Answer me, damn you!"

He goes to the windows, pressing his hands against the glass and straining himself to see all the way down. He watched the streets carefully, and for a second, I thought he was running from the cops.

"Shizu-chan, if you're a legal trouble, please leave me out of it," I said walking to meet him, "Cops and informants wouldn't do well at a dinner party, after all."

"This ain't any legal trouble, Izaya." He snaps, still looking out the window.

"Well, what's got you so shaken up?" I asked, very curious at this point, "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're running from someone."

He shook his head, "Not someone – **Something**."

_3:09 AM_

The Slenderman? It sounds so familiar…Shizu-chan just told me he saw him, twice. He went through the whole story, and so now he wants to spend the night here, if there's going to be any night left…

"Shizu-chan…" I started, watching him as he sips his coffee quietly, "…That is absolutely…ridiculous."

He choked, nearly spilling the brown liquid all over my carpet. I grimaced, rolling my eyes.

"I mean, c'mon! You want me to believe that some made up entity without a face from a computer game is actually real?"

He composed himself as calmly as he could, which wasn't much, and he growled.

"YES, IZAYA!" he yells, "Yes, I do! I'm telling the truth – Shinra told me to play it whenever I got home, I did, and after that, I felt a strange aura in my house."

"And then?"

"After going to bed, I woke up, went into the kitchen, and I saw him standing in front of me when I lit a cigarette – RIGHT IN FUCKING FRONT OF ME!"

I plugged an ear, "I know, I heard…so…what do you want me to do about it? I don't know how to get rid of a ghost."

He shook his head, "I was never going to ask you to do that, louse – I just want you to tell me just what the hell this thing is!"

I sighed again, "Shizu-chan, if your protozoan mind hasn't processed it yet, I am an INFORMANT. In my field of work, there is nothing I do that deals with ghosts, ghouls, demons, poltergeists, etc., etc., etc…"

He watched me in disbelief as I stood up, taking some steps to go up the stairs, "Now, if that is all, I must ask if you please excuse me because I am going BACK TO BED. You may let yourself out, Shizu-cha-"

He grabbed my wrist, another angry look on his face, but more fear mixed in.

"Izaya-kun…" he said softly, "It's _following_ me. It did all the way down here to Shinjuku. I **can't** take care of this by myself."

…That puppy dog expression didn't suit him well. The grip on my wrist loosened, and his hand slid down to meet my fingers, gradually intertwining them.

"Shizu-chan…" I squeezed his hand back to keep it from trembling. Nothing could get the Strongest Man in Ikebukuro like this if what he said wasn't true.

I had to believe him.

"…Okay…" I whispered, "What do you want me do?"

_3:16 AM_

"So…this is it…?"

"Yes."

"A forest?"

"Yes."

"At night?"

"Yes."

"With some crazed demon stalking me the whole time while I collect all eight pages?"

"…Yes."

What have I gotten myself into? The brute practically throws himself into my arms, begging me to play the game myself. After changing into my grey hoodie and black shorts, he was downloading the game anyway on my computer. Seeing that pretty much meant that I was playing whether I wanted to or not. For some reason, though, when I asked Shizu-chan to explain the game to me, he became frantic, begging me again to just not turn around or stop for any reason.

Also…If I see static, run.

Speaking of the blonde boy, he stood behind my office chair, digging his animal-like nails deeply into the leather seat. He wasn't shaking anymore, but he was very pale and weak. Apparently, whatever happened at his house must've really scared him, otherwise he would've sucked it up and smoked another cigarette.

It kinda…scared me to see him like this, so I pressed the key for walking.

"Okay, Shizu-chan…" I petted his head, "I've officially started the game…you want a cig?"

He put his teeth to work, gnawing on the chair now, "You don't like me smoking at your place, remember?"

"A-ah…" I responded, not knowing what else I could do to calm him down, "You know…my chair isn't edible…"

"…I'm aware."

The more I progressed, the more his blank expression stared at the back of my head. I could tell because his face reflected off my laptop screen.

Just terrified.

I swallowed, continuing on in the game, until I found a yellowish piece of paper, almost like it was from a notebook.

"Oh, sweet!" I chirped, taking it up, "I found one!"

Shizu-chan immediately tensed, making the obvious sound of a groan. He started shaking when some strange music began playing in the background. I was officially weirded-out by the brute's behavior, and it only got worse as I got two more pages. They also had some weird writing on them, too, like pictures of the man Shizu-chan described in the middle of trees, others being stuff that said, "You can't run."

After walking a little bit more, I bumped a button by accident, turning off the flashlight. What really surprised me was the Shizu-chan let out a loud shout, crouching even lower behind my desk chair.

"Turn it back on!" he yelled quickly, "TURNITON, TURNITON, TURNITON, TURNITON, TURNITON – TURN THE GODDAMN FLASHLIGHT BACK ON!"

"Okay, okay! I'm trying!" I squealed back, pressing my finger back on the clicker. When there was light once again, I looked at Shizu-chan with utter shock and confusion, "What the hell?! It was an accident!"

"I'm sorry, Izaya," he apologized frantically, "But I forgot to mention that you NEVER turn the flashlight off – NEVER!"

"Alright, okay…" I shrugged and continued my search for pages, "You didn't have to yell…"

If I were any other person, I would've done only that and left it alone, but I'm Izaya Orihara. I like to tease, and while this may have been the wrong time, I just couldn't resist.

Smirking a little, I twirled a finger in the air before smacking the key to turn off the light again.

"What the?!" came the blonde's immediate response, "What the fuck are you doing, flea?! I said don't turn it off!"

"Okay~" I pressed it again, but when I saw him relax, I turned it off again.

"STOP. IT." He seethed, "I know what you're trying to do, but for the love of God, just stop-"

"On."

"Wha-"

"Off."

"Cut it-"

"On."

"Flea!"

"Off."

"FLE-"

"On."

"WILL YOU STOP?!"

"…Off~"

His face turned a deep red, and he grabbed my wrist.

"QUIT, BITCH!"

"Hey, I'm so happy you can actually rhyme, but still, what's the big deal?!" I said laughing, "Slendy too afraid to come out in the light?"

"I told you not to turn the goddamn flashlight off, Izaya! NOW STOP IT!"

I cringed. Shizu-chan's been really mad at me before, but I'd never seen him that angry at me for something so little…

"…Oh, calm down..." I giggled, turning the flashlight back on for good, "You know I'm only teasing~"

He sighed, "I know, I know – I shouldn't have screamed. Just…let's just finish this…"

"Whatever you say, my dear~"

After a few more rounds of trial-and-error, I huffed. I had no idea where I was going anymore, and it wasn't helping that Shizu-chan kept sinking his teeth into my furniture either. I wandered around endlessly into the night, hesitantly turning a little each time I went a different direction.

"Hey, Izaya…" I heard Shizu-chan's voice call.

"Y-yeah…what is it, Shizu-chan?"

"…I just wanna let you know that…this game could _really_ make you wet your pants…"

…I pressed Esc.

…Did he really just say what I think he said…?

I turned my neck, shooting him a very skeptical look, and he stood by, waiting for my response.

"Shizu-chan…again, I am an informant, and guess what? **Informants don't wet their pants, idiot.**"

He scowled, "Well, I'm just trying to warn you, you damned louse!"

"I know…" I swiveled back to the screen, heading for resume. I was placed back in the forest, and I wiggled my mouse a bit. However, I moved it all the way up, and the frame rate begun to slow. It became dark, and I couldn't see where I was going anymore.

"Oh, dammit…" I scoffed, but Shizu-chan stiffened, mumbling something close to "_C'mon, c'mon, c'mon…!_"

…I gotta admit – at this point, I'm pretty sick of the protozoan's paranoia, plus the bite marks in my chair look permanent.

"Alright, look, you brute!" I scolded, "Quit being a baby! So far, I have not seen one trace of this 'Slenderman', and it seems you're the only one that's getting worked up. Pardon my French, but **calm your tits, dude!**"

He unlatched his teeth from my chair, giving me a solemn look.

"O…Okay…"

I nodded, kissing his forehead before turning back to the computer, "See? You're okay, I'm okay - everything's fine, _ne_?"

The screen was still dark, but I finally fixed the light again.

I swung it to the left.

**I saw the Slenderman.**

"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Truth be told, I barely remember screaming, or rather, I couldn't even _hear_ my screaming because Shizu-chan dug his nails into my chair again, lifting me up, and flinging me across the room, screaming himself.

A sharp pain filled my back as I hit the wall, sliding down with a thud as I flopped to the floor on my stomach. I look up, wincing to see the static on my laptop and my swivel chair raised high above Shizu-chan's head. His chest heaved, and his eyes were almost crazed.

"Where is he?! Where is he?!" he yelled, "DAMMIT, WHERE THE HELL IS HE?! I'LL FUCKING KILL HIM! COME ON OUT, YOU SLENDER-BITCH!"

Wincing, I pull myself off my floor, trying to ignore my racing heartbeat, "Shizu-chan, p-put my chair down!"

He growled loudly, throwing it dangerously close to my television, and it crashed into a heap into my plants. I slowly got up, preparing my voice to give the idiotic brute of piece of my mind, but in two seconds, I couldn't even see his face.

The power went out.

I heard Shizu-chan's breath finally relax into a more stable rate, but at this point, I was WAY past angry.

"Oh…oh, well just great, Shizu-chan!" I yell, standing up, "That's just fucking perfect! You throw me and my chair across the room AND you turn my power out!"

"Calm down, flea," he responds, "I'm sure it's just an outage."

"That's can't be - I can still hear my neighbor's radio all the way from here!"

"Alright, alright, hang tight…"

I tapped my foot, even though I couldn't even see the floor I tapped on, and I heard Shizu-chan shuffle through his pockets. I heard the flick of a lighter, and he edged towards me with the orange flame in his hand.

"See?" he tried to smile, "Here's some light…um…okay…"

He trailed off, pointing the lighter to black shorts. I looked down, taking notice of the huge, wet spot on the front. There was also a stream running down my leg, wetting up my socks a little bit, and I immediately stopped my breathing.

"Uh-huh…" I wasn't even looking at the protozoan, but I knew he was looking at me smugly, "So what were you saying about informants NEVER wet their pants?"

I stammered, all words in my vocabulary stuck in my throat while I blushed like a young boy who walked into the girls' locker room for the first time. I yanked my hoodie all the way down to try and hide the stain, but Shizu-chan started laughing.

"Sh-shut up, Shizuo!" I squealed, "Shut up! I-it was an accident! And besides, I'm not the one who went crazy and threw a chair in my apartment – WITH ME IN IT!"

He laughed even harder, and I pouted, running over to my couch to find my jacket.

"You…you m-monster!" I cried out, tying the fluffy jacket around my waist as a cover, "Stupid protozoan asshole…!"

His tone immediately changed, "Don't…don't joke about that. I'm not the monster here!"

I snarled, "Well, obviously…THERE IS NO MONSTER HERE PERIOD! I went through all that shit only to have my favorite chair destroyed, the power in my house going out, and having to live with the embarrassment of wetting myself out of fear in front of you!"

Shizu-chan had a blank look on his face, not seeming to comprehend anything I was saying.

"Don't you fucking ignore me, Shizuo!" I nearly start screaming again, "Slenderman isn't real! Why can't you-"

"**He's here.**"

* * *

**You know, I might've said this before, but I can't play Slender by myself. However, me, my best friend, and Mini-Shizu-chan watch her play Slender on her iPod. We try to sing songs to calm us all down like, "Dango Daikazoku", "Motteke! Serafuku", "Trust Me", "Resonance", "Koi wo Shiyou Yo", and even bits from the Pokemon Theme song. Don't judge - IT ALWAYS WORKS.**


End file.
